If you are about to buy an overseas property then, despite today’s uncertain global economy, you are one of a growing number of people returning to the market after a period of, how shall we say, choppy waters.

The latest PrimeLocation.com International Search Index, which is published quarterly, reveals that the number of people house hunting on our site increased overall by 14% during the third quarter of 2011 and by 17% for the top ten most popular destinations (see list below).

At the top of the table, the United States is the most popular attracting 31% more searches than in the previous three months and overall it remains the third most popular destination for property hunters.

France: one of the European countries that an increasing number of British buyers searched for last quarter.

Switzerland was another big winner within the top ten – the number of searches for its Alpine homes increased by 30%, helped by the thousands of wealthy Brits moving money into its safe haven property markets at the moment.

But what, you may ask, is stirring people to buy overseas when several of the countries popular with British buyers are facing financial meltdown – i.e. Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal?

The answer is that searches are beginning to increase again in the better known destinations despite the financial problems besetting them as many British retirees decide it’s time to emigrate to Europe and beyond for a better quality of life despite the recession.

PrimeLocation.com index also recorded more interest in Germany; searches there rose by 28% compared to the previous quarter driven by its status as the darling of international investor set as its economy shrugs off the recession.

So are there any losers? Only two countries within the top ten saw a decline. Searches for Cyprus property fell by one per cent, and the United Arab Emirates by five per cent, which dropped one place as a result within the Top Ten.

For a full list of the most popular countries by volume of searchs, go to www.primelocation.com.

This Friday the Channel 4 TV show A Place in the Sun begins its three day tenancy at Earls Court in London and Primelocation International will be there, along with 160 companies offering overseas properties for sale and homebuying services.

Headlining the event will the show’s three most famous presenters – Amanda Lamb (who presents the show’s video, below), Jonnie Irwin and Jasmine Harman – who will be appearing on stage to give advice about buying foreign property and answer questions about their work as TV presenters and signing copies of A Place in the Sun magazine. But they will also be joined by other experts including LBC radio presenter, property investment guru and Apprentice TV show contestant James Maxx.

VIDEO: Watch Amanda Lamb introduce this year’s A Place in Sun Live show

Primelocation International’s property analyst Nigel Lewis will also speaking every day at the show on the main stage, revealing ‘ten things you didn’t know about overseas property’ including which country has the easiest buying/conveyancing process; which town the Spanish holiday home revolution started in, which country offers the best quality of life and which day was the best financially to buy a property in Europe over the past year. Catch him during the show at 11.45am on Friday, 12.30pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.

And if you want a free ticket to attend the show – follow this link to claim yours.

Primelocation is sponsoring this year’s  International Property Awards in association with Bloomberg Television, the housing world’s answer to the Oscars with a red carpet event to be held on November 25th and 26th this year in central London. 

So could your next home end up with an international gong for its architecture, build quality or a range of other categories?

These awards may not offer the same glamour and stars as the yearly Oscars in Hollywood, but in many ways they are not far off with categories that include best golf development, international property, apartment and interior design.

The event began it began in 1994 and has developed into a global concern with regional heats held across the world during the build up to the final in London. This comes to a glamorous climax at an event attended by the leading lights of the property world and celebrities.

These in past years have included Rick Wakeman of 1970s supergroup Yes, BBC Royal Correspondent Jenny Bond, interiors expert Linda Barker and Location, Location, Location star Phil Spencer. And the awards have high profile sponsors too. As well as Primelocation.com these include newspaper The New York Times, Google, Bloomberg Television and Maserati.

But one thing that doesn’t change is the robust judging process. Every year the world’s industry experts gather to judge - including this time round Primelocation.com’s Nigel Lewis - whether the hundreds of entries from across the globe pass the quality test.

A wide range of residential and commercial properties are judged from grand villas in Dubai to office developments in Budapest, and previous winners have included UK agent Knight Frank, developer Berkeley Homes (for its Sugar House development in London) and the Dunas Douradas Beach Club on Portugal’s Algarve coast. But winners come from a wide range of countries including Panama, Brazil, India, Singapore, South Africa and Cape Verde.

If you’re considering investing in a golf property, or buying a home near a golf course, it can be mind-boggling trying to decide where to choose, as there are so many top notch overseas golf courses these days. But inspiration is at hand, thanks to the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), who’ve recently assessed thousands of courses around the world and named the winners in their prestigious annual awards.

The annual IAGTO awards recognise the outstanding golf destinations in five regions of the world – Asia and Australasia, Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf States, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and Europe. In addition, the International Association of Golf Travel Writers, a sister organisation of IAGTO, which represents over 100 members in 27 countries, awards a prize for the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year.

The awards celebrate the destinations which are making waves in the golf tourism world and the results are invariably of interest to property investors, as they highlight areas where golfing properties may do well, either currently or in the future.

The results of the 2009 IAGTO Awards are in:

New Zealand picked up the award for the Golf Destination of the Year: Asia and Australasia.

The European award went to Andalucia, in Spain (no surprises here).

The Africa, Indian Ocean and Gulf States award was picked up by Dubai.

The Latin America and Caribbean award went to the Dominican Republic.

The North American prize went to South Carolina.

As for the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year, it went to Kenya, which was noted for having 40 golf courses across the county, located in very diverse areas and with wonderful wildlife in close proximity.

The clocks have gone back, frosty mornings have started and some places have even had snow already. Winter has arrived in the UK, but if you’d prefer to jet away to sunnier climes during the colder months, here’s a round-up of some of the top winter sun property destinations.

Cape Verde
Located 400 miles northwest of the coast of Africa, the Cape Verde archipelago of islands is a key property location that’s attracted a lot of interest in the last few years. An emerging property destination, it boasts a year round tropical climate and beautiful sandy beaches, so is the perfect getaway for winter sun seekers.

Barbados
Areas of the Caribbean, such as Barbados, bask in glorious sunshine all year round, so they’re a great favourite for winter property owners. In fact, a range of celebrities, including David and Victoria Beckham, Hugh Grant and Simon Cowell are amongst the owners of properties here. If you’re also considering renting out your home, then Barbados seems a good location for holiday lets.

The Canary Islands
A long-term favourite with Brits and attracting 10 million visitors a year, the Canary Islands are a popular choice for winter sun seekers, where the average annual temperature is 22°C. The largest of the islands, Tenerife, has a five-year building moratorium in place, so new developments are limited and existing properties are in demand.

Dubai
Home to a growing number of British expats working in the United Arab Emirates, the city of Dubai is blessed with a subtropical climate. There’s currently a lot of interest in property here and rental yields of about 8% plus can be achieved. As an added bonus, Dubai has favourable tax incentives and there’s no VAT or stamp duty on property purchases.

Brazil
The largest country in Latin America, Brazil has a year-round average temperature of 26°C and, together with an array of stunning beaches, it’s an ideal getaway for the winter months. Areas around the north east coast are currently appealing to both property buyers and tourists, and you’ll find plenty of new build and off-plan developments available.